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DAM-L Mhlatuze River/Kwa-Zulu Natal cholera: joint rural statement
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Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 10:08:06 -0800
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From: lori@irn.org (Lori Pottinger)
Subject: Joint SAMWU - Rural statement on cholera/LS
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3pm
Thursday 26th October
The Rural Development Services Network (RDSN) and the South African
Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) note with grave concern the growing number
of people infected by cholera in Kwa-Zulu Natal. By today, over 3000 people
had contracted cholera and 33 had died.
Both SAMWU and the RDSN have been campaigning for a minimum of 50 litres per
water per person per day for more than three years now, on the grounds that
the poor cannot pay for basic services with money that they do not have. In
this regard, SAMWU and the RDSN agree completely with Nehawu that the
government's macro economic policy, Gear, must be blamed for the cholera
epidemic. GEAR is primarily based on commodification of all services, and
paying for anything you get.
After four years of GEAR, the poor of South Africa are reeling with shock.
700 thousand of us have lost our jobs, tens of thousands of us are being
evicted from our homes for not being able to pay arrears, our electricity is
cut, we are dying of AIDS and cholera and 650 of us are dying every day from
diarrohea because we don't have water, or it has been cut off. Therefore
both SAMWU and the RDSN believe that Zweli Mkhize's statement that Nehawu
comments were "immature" is completely out of order.
The awful truth of this particular cholera epidemic has been uncovered by
the Rural Development Services Network:
The poorest in the community living in the cholera affected areas of
Ngwelezane, close to Empangeni, have got water from just 9 communal
standpipe taps since 1982. They have had to share these standpipes with the
Madlebe Tribal Authority lands. The community paid a flat rate for all
services up until 1997. The GEAR policy kicked in at this point. Meters were
installed in those homes with water. The 9 free standpipes were identified
as a source of income for the TLC, and this was then converted into a card
based system. Community members who could not pay for water had no option
but to draw water from the infected Mhlatuze river and other boreholes. The
last cholera outbreak in the area happened in 1982 during the drought, but
since the cost-recovery principles have been implemented cholera seems to be
rampant.
It is now costing the Department of Water Affairs approximately R 450,000
per month to provide water to the affected areas. In contrast, the
Operations and Maintenance costs which the Department tried to recover from
the community would only have been R370,000 per annum.
The cholera epidemic is just one more tragedy that is highlighting the
absolute folly of the GEAR policy, which is even a failure in economic
terms. The short-term direct costs of treating diarrhoea patients are over
R6 billion a year and total annual costs are estimated at over R17 billion.
Research has shown clearly that it is far cheaper to provide free running
water and sanitation than treat the victims of waterborne diseases in
hospital. SAMWU and the RDSN hope that if a moral argument cannot persuade
government to provide free water without further delay, then an economic
argument will.
..../ends
For comment call RDSN on 082 9013916 or SAMWU on 083 7141899
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
and Editor, World Rivers Review
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
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